Egypt’s Incentive Wonders
Dinner in the Sky
Resort Spotlight: Atlantis, Paradise Island
Good Deeds, Great Events through Art
The Insider Poll: Where Have You Met?
Around the Industry
Krisam & GEP News

Egypt’s Impressive Incentive Wonders
There are more than seven

What makes for a good incentive destination? A place that offers plenty of enjoyable activities, some adventure for the explorers, some pleasurable learning, plenty of new experiences, and – ideally, a place that your travelers have never visited before.

There are few locations that can fulfill all of a planner’s expectations, but Egypt certainly is one of them. No where else on earth can you see one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Add desert adventure, cosmopolitan nightlife, and unending history (including such superstars as King Tut and Cleopatra) and you have a mix of the exotic and the amazing and the just plain fun.

And yet, Egypt remains a little visited venue for Americans making it an ideal site for high-end incentive groups.

Have Dinner in the Sky
Talk about high-level meetings

See Italy from an entirely new perspective, dangling from the clouds for dinner, a meeting or happy hour. Giuseppe Lepri of Newtours S.p.A reports that this most unusual venue is now available for any Italian location: big cities and historical centers, at the seaside, mountains or lake, even sports and cultural events. See how it’s done and how you can do it.

Resort Spotlight: Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas

Put the words “Atlantis” and “Paradise” together and you have a place that provides pleasures of mythical proportions. Atlantis, Paradise Island is a tropical paradise that uses the legendary lost continent as a theme to surround guests with experiences of a lifetime. That magic extends to its recently opened 50,000-square-foot Imperial Ballroom and its 300,000 square feet of meeting space.

A visit to Atlantis, the flagship of Kerzner International Resorts, is a worldly adventure that makes explorers of everyone who journeys there. For marvelous large meetings and luxurious leisure getaways, its offerings are endless.

Good Deeds, Great Events
Community Service in the Meetings Industry

More and more companies in the MICE industry are building some form of community service into their meetings and events. These activities that “give back” are improving the quality of lives around the world. Though a particular program may be small, it has the potential to have a big impact on the future of the people it touches. "Good Deeds, Great Events” also adds to the success of meetings and events making participants feel better about themselves, the world, and the company arranging the project. With this issue of The Event Insider, we introduce a new occasional feature highlighting some worthy programs that may inspire similar activities for others in the industry. Do good deeds by painting...

The Insider Poll: Where have you met?

It’s a bit surprising that with modern travel and communications, Americans still have much of the world to explore. Studies show that Canada, Mexico, and Western Europe still are the favorites of U.S. travelers. A recent Commerce Department report cites low percentages of U.S. visitors to Africa, the Middle East, and Oceana. The good news is, there are still places to take visitors that will be an adventure. How far afield have you ranged with your meetings or incentives? Take our poll.

Results of the Last Insider Poll.
Nearly half of all respondents to the last Insider Poll said that they had built some form of community service into some of their meetings. One-third reported a "good deeds" activity in several meetings, while 11% said they organized such activities once or twice. The positive news is that 44% who had yet to incorporate public service in a meeting plan to do so in the future. For an example of such an activity, see the Good Deeds, Great Events story in this issue.

Have you built some form of community service into your meetings?

• No, but I plan to. 44%
• Yes, in several meetings. 33%
• Yes, once or twice. 11%
• No, it’s impractical for me. 11%
• Yes, in nearly every meeting. 0%

Around the Industry

• New International Meeting Center to Open in 2009 in Brussels
  SQUARE, a spectacular, state-of-the-art stage for international meetings in the Brussels, Belgium, is set to open for business in September 2009. It will include three auditoriums that can seat from 300 to 1,200 people, spacious exhibition halls where seated dinners for up to 1,600 can be held, and 20 meeting rooms suitable for every need.
  
  The sweeping top-floor banquet hall, with its spectacular rooftop views of the city, will be an unforgettable spot for glamorous galas.
  
  SQUARE is located in the heart of cosmopolitan Brussels, the administrative capital of Europe. Just a short stroll away from all the city’s major attractions, there are over 70 hotels just around the corner, plus the pick of the city’s restaurants, bars and shops.
  
  @dmire is the GEP Partner in Belgium.

Krisam & GEP News
Get updates on Krisam Member Hotels & Resorts and GEP Partners here. For more information on any of these Members or Partners below, contact your Krisam or GEP representative directly or email us today.

New Krisam Group Member Hotels & Resorts

Bohemian Hotel at Savannah Riverfront- Savannah, GA
The Bohemian Hotel at Savannah Riverfront is located directly on the historic Savannah River and within the Savannah historic district. Located only 14 miles from the Savannah International airport it is an easy in and out.

75 sleeping rooms, 850 total square foot of meeting space and 450 square feet is largest meeting room size.

See a complete listing of Krisam Member Hotels & Resorts & GEP DMCs.


MC&A in Hawaii Celebrates 25th Anniversary
In 1983, MC&A, Inc. was established as Mary Charles and Associates, Inc. by three individuals who brought with them over thirty-one combined years of travel industry and ground operations experience. Starting as a ground operator for incentive programs, the company changed with the expanded needs of its clients and is now Hawaii’s only "full-service" destination management and conference planning company.

MC&A has over 100 full time employees on all Hawaiian Islands and shares Aloha with over 500,000 corporate and leisure visitors to the State each year.


Atlanta Arrangements Jenny Munn Named GaMPI Rising Star
Jenny Munn, sales manager for Atlanta Arrangements, was recently honored with the 2008 Rising Star Award at the annual Meeting Professionals International Georgia Chapter (GaMPI) Phoenix Awards. Over 350 guests dressed in their best black and white attire attended the event held at the new W Atlanta Midtown hotel on June 19.

The Rising Star Award is presented to a new member who has made the most notable volunteer contribution to the chapter. Munn was honored for her participation on the wow and communication committees as well as chair and editor of eConnect, the organization’s online publication. She joined GaMPI in January 2007.

*Photo ID: (l to r) Susan Henderson, chairman and CEO of Atlanta Arrangements; Jenny Munn, sales manager; and Michele Lend, president of Atlanta Arrangements.